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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24356113">you put your arms around me &amp; i'm home</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miah_Kat/pseuds/Miah_Kat'>Miah_Kat</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Tales of Zestiria</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fluff, M/M, Post-Canon, Reunions, Seraph Sorey (Tales of Zestiria)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 09:22:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,660</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24356113</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miah_Kat/pseuds/Miah_Kat</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Sorey,” Mikleo whispers against his shoulder, voice filled with disbelief. Then he repeats his name, tone gradually evolving from incredulity to awe to unmistakable elation with every utterance. His hands grasp the back of Sorey’s shirt so tightly he thinks it might rip but he doesn’t care. Mikleo’s breath hitches; the warm sensation of tears dripping onto his collarbone makes Sorey pull back in worry.</p><p>But there’s a smile bigger than any Sorey’s ever seen on Mikleo’s lips when he faces him, his amethyst eyes bright with equal amounts joy and tears. His shoulders shake, not from crying, but with overwhelmed laughter as he releases Sorey’s shirt in favor of reaching up to cup his face reverently. He smooths his thumbs over the swell of his cheekbones as he takes him in, his fingers trembling against Sorey’s skin.</p><p>“You’re here,” he says, still grinning like a fool. “It’s you, you’re really here. <i>Sorey.</i>”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Mikleo/Sorey (Tales of Zestiria)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>120</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>you put your arms around me &amp; i'm home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>*shows up 1000 years late with Starbucks*</p><p>i recently rewatched the ToZ anime and woo-boy, them feels came flooding back so here we are. i've never played the games so please forgive any discrepancies; my main source material is the anime &amp; manga, though i have seen the game epilogue, which is where this is more or less based. i just wanted to try my hand at a SorMik reunion ^^</p><p>hope you enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Sorey wakes up, it’s the sweet scent of flowers that he notices first. He opens his eyes to find himself surrounded by them, lying amidst a blooming field of color with the clear blue sky above him and the soothing sound of rushing water somewhere behind. He gingerly pushes himself up to his elbows as he looks around in awe at the gorgeous haven, encircled on all sides by towering cliffs. One is the source of a waterfall which cascades into a clear pool that’s bordered by a number of trees. Birds sing from within their branches, a peaceful song that has him wanting to lie back down and bask in the beauty around him.</p><p>He might have done just that if his shifting hadn’t caused a sudden sharp pain in the back of his head. With a wince, he glances around himself for the source of the discomfort and finds that he’s hopelessly tangled in the blonde-tipped strands of his ridiculously long hair. It startles him, not only the length—though that certainly does, too, because how long has he been asleep?—but especially the color that’s undeniably indicative of seraphim. He can’t help taking a handful of it to bring up to his face for closer inspection. Sure enough, his chestnut hair fades tellingly into a blonde so light it’s nearly platinum. His heart quickens in his chest as realization sinks in—he’s a <em>seraph</em>. An incredulous laugh escapes him as tears spring to the corners of his eyes. He’d hoped, secretly in the furthest corners of his mind, but he’d never expected—this must be a gift from Maotelus, one he’ll be eternally grateful for because now he can be with Mikleo—</p><p><em>Mikleo</em>. The name conjures the image of his childhood friend, regal and beautiful and courageous, with eyes like amethysts and a smile that makes his knees weak. He’s suddenly full of restless energy, pushing to his feet and stumbling forward a few steps like a new fawn as he adjusts to the sensation of having a physical form once more. He’s spent so long healing the world in a sort of limbo, essentially becoming one with the earth and all Her elements, that having a body again feels strange. Still, there’s an insistent pull in his chest that urges him to go, to explore, to see the world in its pure form that he worked so tirelessly to achieve. But mostly, it’s a longing from his heart to see his best friend again. He wonders how long it’s been now.</p><p>He makes his way to the waterfall basin, still a little unsteady on his feet, where he takes in his appearance through his reflection. He looks the same overall, save for the hair which flows messily around him. Now that he’s standing he can see it falls past his waist and ends just below the backs of his knees, nearly as long as he remembers Lailah’s. He’s not quite sure what to do with it; the only time his hair had been longer than the nape of his neck was when he had Armatized with his friends, and he hadn’t needed to care for it in that form. He gathers it in his hands and secures it at the back of his head in a low ponytail for now, impatient to embark on his journey.</p><p>He tries not to get too distracted as he makes his way out of the sanctuary that appears to have been nurtured from the remains of ruins. He marvels at the architecture carved from the walls of the cliffs as he travels deep into the underbelly of what is probably a mountain. He lets his instincts guide him through the winding halls as he avoids hidden traps and questionable flooring with practiced ease. It’s not long before he finds his way out of the ruins entirely and is faced with the rolling hills of a gorgeous countryside. He takes a moment to appreciate the beauty of the scene before striding forward.</p><p>He needs to find Mikleo, after all.</p><p>He briefly considers going home to Elysia to ask if they know his whereabouts, but he quickly dismisses the idea; he left Elysia with Mikleo and he wants to return the same way. So he moves on, unsure of how he knows which direction to take. He simply walks and allows the feeling in his chest to guide him; it’s a gentle warmth that calms him, reassuring in its own quiet way.</p><p>It takes weeks. Weeks of wandering the country on nothing but a gut feeling and hope. He does enjoy the journey along the way, though, as he passes through a multitude of rural towns and large cities in which humans and seraphim live in harmony with one another. The first time he passes through a market and speaks easily with a human saleswoman as he buys some produce, it takes a moment before it dawns on him—he, a <em>seraph</em>, had conversed with a human as easily as when he’d grown up in Elysia. He surveyed the town with amazement as he realized it wasn’t just this one woman; <em>all</em> of the townsfolk seemed able to perceive him and the other seraphim who wandered the streets. The lady had exclaimed with alarm as tears flowed down Sorey’s face, but he waved her concern away with a smile so big his cheeks ached with it.</p><p>He’s pleased to see indications of his friends’ influence on the world while he was away as he travels. He eventually finds his way back to Ladylake, not because he expects to find Mikleo there, but because he thinks it only right to pay his respects to Alisha for her friendship and aid during the Age of Chaos. He finds a monument in her honor standing proud in the city center, still kept pristine despite its obvious age. He’s still uncertain how long he’s been away but based on the changes he sees he can guess it’s been a few centuries, at least. It’s a bittersweet thought so he spends a few days in Ladylake to honor his old friends before moving on.</p><p>He’s passing through a small rural village in the middle of the mountains when he spots an old shrine dedicated to a water spirit. Its stone arches are covered in a thick layer of green moss, the steady drip of water echoing inside the cave beyond the offering pillar. He smiles when he sees there is a fresh gift of nashi awaiting acceptance. Curious, he ventures further into the cave to find a passageway leading into carved out room. He gapes at the architecture he finds, heavily detailed imagery carved into the walls depicting a Master Seraph as he wields his element against a raging inferno that threatens to overtake a village, presumably the one he’d come through to get here. It would make sense that the villagers would build a shrine to honor a seraph who once saved their home, especially in the beginning of the Age of Amity.</p><p>Sorey spends a little time poking around the inner shrine, admiring the obvious care that was put into detailing the Master Seraph’s feats, when he notices something that makes him catch his breath. There, in one of the largest depictions of the water seraph, stands a familiar figure with a staff in one hand and a bow in the other with an unmistakable circlet adorning his brow.</p><p>It’s Mikleo, Sorey realizes. The Master Seraph that had saved this village had been Mikleo.</p><p>Pride flows through him in waves and he can’t help but laugh giddily. Mikleo had done exactly as Sorey had hoped he would when he’d chosen to help Maotelus—he’d <em>thrived</em>. He’d known all along that Mikleo had the potential to become a Master, that he’d do wondrous things over the course of his long life. This only proved what he’d had faith in all along.</p><p>He can’t help but reach out to run his fingers over the mural, fascinated. He wants to hear all about this and all the other adventures that Mikleo has had since he’s been sleeping. The desire to find his friend burns even brighter and he leaves the shrine with a new determination in his heart, legs carrying him up the mountain as fast as he can manage while the now familiar pull in his chest seems to intensify.</p><p>It leads him high into the peaks where the clouds obscure the countryside below and the air is crisp against his face. He wanders until the trails give way to rocky ledges and precarious footpaths safe only for the mountain goats he noticed on his climb up. Excitement courses through him; the best discoveries are often the most difficult to obtain, so he doesn’t hesitate to inch his way around a bend, taking care to place every step purposefully. He may not die at this height now that he’s a seraph but he’d prefer not to find out how painful breaking most of his bones at once could be.</p><p>His persistence pays off when he rounds the corner of a steep cliff to find a massive pair of intricately carved pillars supporting the yawning mouth of a ruin. Whooping triumphantly, he hurries closer, taking care to watch his step for traps and the like. A place this difficult to get to will almost certainly come with security of some kind.</p><p>“I wonder if I beat you to this one,” he murmurs with a smile. Satisfied that he’s avoided any possible traps, Sorey makes his way into the ruin, anticipation thick in his veins.</p><p>It’s gorgeous. The craggy rock gives way to tile flooring the further in he goes, the mountain carved out to make room for soaring ceilings and a maze of tunnels illuminated with crystals. He finds himself entering an enormous cavern, the tile beneath his feet designed in a mosaic of the moon. There are cracks and broken pieces in some areas where rocks have been dislodged from the walls and ceiling, but the art remains beautifully intact for the most part. It’s easy to admire since there’s a beam of sunlight shining directly in the middle of the room; when he looks up, he finds a purposeful skylight constructed there, surrounded by imagery of the stars. He can feel the sacredness this room once held so he stops for a moment in respect for the old traditions.</p><p>Still, his curiosity and excitement get the better of him, so it’s not long before he’s off again to continue his exploration. The further he goes, the more he theorizes about the purpose of this ruin. Much of the imagery points towards an interest in astrology and the crystals seem to be an intricate part of the architecture based on how they’re incorporated throughout the ruin. He pokes at one curiously, pleasantly surprised when it responds with a soft teal glow. Still, just as much seems based on a devotion of water and he wonders if the people had been interested in the effects of the moon on water artes. Mikleo had always been more powerful during the full moon, so maybe this was a place of study for things of that nature.</p><p>He’s mulling over his theories when he comes across another room, this one twice the size of the entrance atrium. Crystals decorate large pillars on either side of a great walkway which leads out into a spherical landing encircled by shimmering water. Another skylight illuminates what seems to be a dais in the middle of the room and there—</p><p>Sorey’s heart nearly leaps out of his chest at the sight of a man standing there on the dais, creamy waves of aquamarine-tipped hair flowing down the back of several intricately designed turquoise capes. The man holds a staff in one hand, reaching out with his other to press a gloved palm against the center of the dais. Sorey wants desperately to call out to him but his voice dies in his throat when the ground beneath the man suddenly crumbles and then he’s falling.</p><p>Without conscious thought, Sorey sprints forward, diving towards the newly formed hole in the floor and reaching out blindly. He gasps when his fingers latch securely around the man’s wrist, unable to believe his luck. He hears a similar gasp of shock—surely he hadn’t expected to be saved, seemingly alone in a forgotten ruin atop a dangerous mountain. The coincidence is almost impossible to believe; in fact, Sorey is inclined to believe it’s simply Fate.</p><p>Sorey starts at the feeling of the man’s other hand grasping his, shaking him from his stupor enough that he regains the sense to actually pull him up to safety. The moment that familiar head of soft curls reappears from the crumbling floor, Sorey uses all his strength to yank him back up, perhaps too eagerly. The force of it has them colliding, falling back in a tangle of limbs. Sorey immediately wraps his arms around Mikleo’s waist, joy spreading throughout his entire being at finally, <em>finally</em> having him back.</p><p>“Sorey,” Mikleo whispers against his shoulder, voice filled with disbelief. Then he repeats his name, tone gradually evolving from incredulity to awe to unmistakable elation with every utterance. His hands grasp the back of Sorey’s shirt so tightly he thinks it might rip but he doesn’t care. Mikleo’s breath hitches; the warm sensation of tears dripping onto his collarbone makes Sorey pull back in worry.</p><p>But there’s a smile bigger than any Sorey’s ever seen on Mikleo’s lips when he faces him, his amethyst eyes bright with equal amounts joy and tears. His shoulders shake, not from crying, but with overwhelmed laughter as he releases Sorey’s shirt in favor of reaching up to cup his face reverently. He smooths his thumbs over the swell of his cheekbones as he takes him in, his fingers trembling against Sorey’s skin.</p><p>“You’re here,” he says, still grinning like a fool. “It’s you, you’re really here. <em>Sorey</em>.”</p><p>“Mikleo.” His name tastes sweet, like the nashi offering from Mikleo’s shrine at the base of the mountain. His cheeks hurt from the width of his smile. “Haven’t you learned to be more careful yet?”</p><p>Mikleo laughs at that, shaking his head as tears fall faster, dripping off of his chin. Sorey reaches out to wipe them away, then trails his fingers through the long tresses falling over Mikleo’s shoulder.</p><p>“Your hair is so long,” he says appreciatively, if not a bit wistful. He can’t help but think that it’s this length because of all the time that’s passed. Still— “It suits you.”</p><p>“Mine? Look at <em>you</em>,” Mikleo chuckles, mirroring Sorey as he takes his ponytail and slides the length through his fingers until it rests over his shoulder. His breath stutters at the way it fades from brunet to blonde. “You’re a seraph.” It’s not a question, but his shock is evident in both his voice and eyes.</p><p>“Seems so,” Sorey replies cheekily, reaching behind his head to scratch at his neck sheepishly. “I haven’t figured out my element yet, though.”</p><p>Interest lights up Mikleo’s eyes at that. He brings one hand to his chin in a familiar action of pensive musing as he hums thoughtfully. “With that shade, I’d assume lightning, like Gramps.” He seems tempted to continue speculating but with a shake of his head, he refocuses on Sorey. His gaze softens as he takes him in fully, eyes roving over his face and hair, until he reaches out to brush aside his unruly bangs so he can properly meet his eyes. He doesn’t remove his hand, instead settling to cup the side of Sorey’s face gently. He looks ready to cry again.</p><p>“Welcome back, Sorey.”</p><p>His grin softens in to a fond smile as he lifts his hand to hold the back of Mikleo’s, leaning into the touch as he answers breathlessly, “Yeah. I’m home, Mikleo.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>thanks for reading! i have a couple other WIPs for these sweethearts that i hope to share soon, so stay tuned!</p><p>(i love the hc that Sorey awakens as a lightning seraph; also, miss me with that angst where he wakes up without his human memories. i ain't about that life lol these boys have been through <i>enough</i>)</p><p>y’all can always come talk to me on tumblr <b>@sawamura-daichis-thighs</b> ❤️</p></blockquote></div></div>
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